Yeah, I'll probably start around 28-30mph and work my way up. What do you guys think of this ski? I talked to my dad about sizes, and he's thinking about 65" would be good for me. This 67" would probably work well for him since he's a few inches taller and weighs another 30 lbs.

IMO both skis are too much ski for your beginning level. At the speeds you are starting at you would do very well on a shaped ski such as an HO Triumph or an O'Brian Syncro. (we own both skis.) I have seen good skiers take both these skis through a course at 28 off 34 mph. So you will have a lot of room to improve before needing to upgrade your ski. Both are excellent open water ski's as well which is a real plus..(high end skis are rarely open water friendly).

65" would be good for your size however 67" will not be a problem until you move to the 22 off 32+ mph range and than you may find the 67" a little sluggish around the balls.

When choosing (or wanting ) a new ski, I refer back to a visit to Coble ski school and asking if it was time for me to consider upgrading my ski. I was told that water skiing is one of the few sports where the equipment (ski) needs to match the ability level of the skier.Buying a ski designed for skiing at levels you are far from mastering will do more harm than help to your performance. I kept my ski for another 3 years.

doesn't say what year... but it's not a bad price...bindings are in good shape - I have a 2010 Triumph and a 2012 Coefficient XL/S like them both. Triumph is a fun ski responsive and the Coefficient is like driving a high performance car.

Triumph good at 30-32 - but less responsive at high speeds... You won't find one ski to take thru different levels. I had a 2010 Free Ride which was good for a season and a half... It was a great ski to master deep water starts but it was rough thru the wake at higher speeds. Its wide and even on edge I would catch air...that said - a triumph could last you awhile depending on your goals and how much time you get to have on the water.

__________________...A bad day water skiing still beats a good day at work...1995 Pro Star 205....

I'll message him for the year. That video of the new free ride makes it sound promising. I think I saw it on waterskis.com (is that Midwest mastercraft?) for $150. I just don't want something that will only last me a couple months.

I'll message him for the year. That video of the new free ride makes it sound promising. I think I saw it on waterskis.com (is that Midwest mastercraft?) for $150. I just don't want something that will only last me a couple months.

Looks like a nice ski, but it may be a little long for me, and I was only looking to spend 200-300 for my first ski. The guy with the Triumph on ebay messaged back saying it's a 2009 and they haven't changed until this year. What would y'all say to that? Also, that HO freeride for $165 on waterskis.com looks to be a 2010. Is there a pretty big difference between that and the 2013?